I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance. Luke 15:7

A daredevil raccoon, searching for bird eggs, kept animal lovers on edge earlier this year when it scaled a 25-story skyscraper in St. Paul, Minnesota, and became stuck near the top. Television cameras followed the drama closely. Workers finally rescued the creature when it reached the roof and released it safely. One raccoon behavior expert said, “Raccoons don’t think ahead very much, so raccoons don’t have very good impulse control. I don’t think the raccoon realized when it started climbing what it was in for.”

Recommended Reading: Luke 15:1-7

That sounds like a lot of humans, doesn’t it?

We are so prone to head in the wrong direction, make mistakes, fail to think ahead, and often fail to exercise impulse control. We get ourselves trapped by life.

But we have Someone who can rescue us. Through Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to give us victory over our sin, we’ve received the gift of righteousness and are no longer chained to the cycle of sin and guilt. Every time Jesus rescues a soul, it should be a sensation. It’s truly a celebration in heaven.

I was a sinner, but now I’m free, / His wondrous grace has rescued me. Lida S. Leech, in her hymn, “He Rescued Me”